Reforming machine



April 25, 1950 0 H. B. PETERSON 2,505,004

REFORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. :5, 1946 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 d 2%; BY j V /dwwf ATTORNEYS April 1950 H. B. PETERSON 2,505,004

REFORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1946 ZSheecs-Sheet 2 KAAZW ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED iS 2,505,004 'REFORMING MACHINE -1Ho'ward B. Peterson, SaniFranoisom-iCalif assignor toqAmerica-n Gan Company, New-.York, N. Y.,- a corporation of New Jersey npiziieatienaanuei-yz, 1946; serierNm-esasss 10 laims. ;1

The present -invention relatesito can zbody reforming machines and has particular reference to devices for initially opening can bodieslpro- 'v'ided :with relativelyflat side parts joined rby sharply curved 'connecting partsas an incident to the complete-reforming of suchcan bodies into a desired shape.

1 In "a pending application, 'Serial 3 No. 638g854, filed January 3, 1946, by' Samuel S. J aoobsIand myself as joint inven-tors, (Patent No. 2360.293, granted Feb.-1, 1'-949), there isshown a reforming machine in wh iehsmy device may be used inethe manner -"=thereill trated. No claim is made "herein to' -the machinexclaimed-ainsaid 'ipending application.

"Shipment"and-.=StOiage of empty sheet metal can bodies for usein making oontainersor cans for foodproduets' sometimes is facilitated-by fiattening or collapsing the bodies so" that they occupy less space. "When ready fOruse,. -thei:walls or side parts of such flattened cam=bodies are opened or spread aparte-and then :the "bodies are-reformed by rolling or other -meanswtQ'restore them to their original-401v other desired cross sectionalform. The initial opening of the bodies sometimes is Ldifiicult,:sparticularly when the walls' 'of the bodies are close together.

.The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difiiculty byxproviding ;a device in which the can bodies-rare :opened by worm :or vhelical thread spreading. elementsfonrapidly separating the wallslof theflattened bodies.

object of :th'e Einventioniis :EthEFlJIiOViSiOIlaQf :a spreader device for :a scan body reforming imachine wherein ":rthe'rside :parts 2' of the aicollapsled bodies are separated .to initially: open lithe bodies, as anincident to reforming :them, -:;by spreader worms havingihelicalit-hreads :whiohgare? operable in the ends or :Ltheeb'odies :between i their flat: side parts.

-Another object is the :provision :of :such :;a spreader device wherein the helical threads of the worms are 'formed' with'za progressively creasing thickness :so that the fiat side parts-f the collapsed .Lcan zbodies i will :be progressively spread ap'art a predetermined amount as athe threads are rotated lin zthezaends eof rthe :bodies to:initiallyxopenathem Another object is the provision of a spreader deviceaof this character :Wherein the helical threads of the 's'preader :worms .are' formed-"with starting lobes which are .insertable" into thecend of the can :bodyeadjac'ent: rJa ccurved1 connectin part" of the body to"sfacilitate sseparation of (the fiatsiderpartsiotthetbody.

Another object is themrovisioneof such a spreader device wherein the spreader worms-are rotated I inopposite directions relative to each other and-relative to can body feeding elements used inconnection withthe worms' to retain-the bodies against lateral displacement dur ing the initialopening-operation.

' Numerous other objects and- -advantages of the inv'ention 'will be apparent as it is better understood from the following -description, which, taken in *connection with .the accompanying drawings, discloses a prefer-red embodiment thereof.

Referring-totheidrawingsz Figured is a top plan Viewof-- a-devicefior initially opening can bodies to be: reformed the device embodying the instant invention;

' Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substant'ial-ly "along the lines 2 "2 '--and 33' in Fig. 1, with=parts-broken away;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substane tia lly' 'along -the broken line'M-"d '.in Fig. 2;

*Figs. :5 and-' 6 are-:e'nlarged perspective views of a can body before and after beinginitially opened;

Figs. 7 and -8 are enlarged schematic views shoWingthe*re1ative positions-Ora can bodyand the sprealdef worms during the opening of the body,- with parts broken away y and Figs. 9 i and -10 are sectional views taken substantially-along -thelines 99, 10-10 in Figs. 7 and 8, respectively.

As-a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawingsillustrate a spreader device for initially opening flattened or i collapsed sheet metal canbodies A (Fig; i 5) -asan incident :to the complete reforming oi such' bodies' into round or cylindrical form. -However, the 1 invention :iS equally well adapted for use in initially opening flattened can bodies to bet-reformed. intoother cross seetional shapes if desired.

The collapsed can body to :be operated .upon includes yrelatively flat sidewalls: or.parts B*wl1ich may be closely'sspaced apartzeas shown-in the drawings For which imayi be. touching? each; other "is "sometimes the :case. lTh'eseiflati side 111311135 are joinedby opposed sharply curvedconnecting edge partsec :whicha enclose spaces extending .the length of the ibody the endsriof such' spacesbeing designated Jeyes D.

11 To initially open- :the'; body so ithat'rthe reforme ing ..-operations :can :bea'zvperiormed 11.113011; it, the body side "walls t..are xsp'readx: apart .a sufiieient amountibeyond the elastic limit-of; the; bodyimaterialrto-fimpartqaset.to these walls soithatthey will remain in their partially separated position. Such an opened body is disclosed in Fig. 6 and is indicated by the letter E. The opening of the body this far completes the steps of operation on the body as effected by the instant spreader device.

In the spreader device, the collapsed can bodies A to be initially opened are retained in vertically stacked formation within a magazine 2| (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) of a member 22 which completely surrounds the lower end of the stack. The top and bottom of the magazine member are open for the passage of the can bodies through the magazine. Vertical guide bars 23 secured in the top of the member and arranged around the top opening, guide incoming bodies into the magazine. The bodies may be placed or fed into the magazine in any suitable manner.

The can bodies A are fed individually from the bottom of the magazine 2i. To facilitate this feeding, the bodies are disposed within the magazine at a slight angle to the horizontal. The feeding is effected preferably by a plurality of rotatable feeding screws which are disposed adjacent the bottom opening in the magazine. These feeding screws include a main feeding screw 25 (see also Fig. 4) which is disposed adjacent one side of the magazine and a pair of auxiliary feeding screws 26 which are disposed adjacent th opposite side of the magazine. The three screws thus provide a three point suspension for the can bodies.

The feeding screws 25, 26 extend into the magazine 2i and are engageable by the edge parts C of the lowermost can body in the stack for supporting the entire stack. The outer periphery of the screws are formed with helical grooves 21 for separating individual can bodies from the stack and for feeding them out of the magazine as the screws rotate, as will be hereinafter explained.

The feeding screws 25, 26 are mounted on the lower ends of vertically disposed shafts 3| which are journaled in bearings 32 formed in the magazine member 22. The shafts extend up through the magazine member and project above its top surface. The upper ends of the shafts carry sprockets 33 which are rotated in unison and in the proper direction by an endless chain 34 which surrounds the magazine 2! (see Fig. l). r The chain 34 is driven by a drive sprocket 36. This sprocket is mounted on a vertical drive shaft 3? which is journaled in a bearing formed in the magazine member 22. The drive shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner. The chain is maintained in a taut condition by a pair of idler sprockets 4|. These sprockets are mounted on studs 43 secured in the magazine member 22.

With such a chain drive the main feeding screw 25 and the two auxiliary feeding screws 26 are rotated in unison and in timed order. During each revolution of these feeding screws, the helical grooves 2! in the screws separat the lowermost can body A in the magazine 2! from the stack of can bodies and feed it downwardly while holding it in its inclined position. To facilitate this feeding action the two auxiliary feedingscrews 26 are rotated in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 4. These opposing directions of travel tend to centralize the moving can body in the magazine.

While the separated can body A is being fed by the feeding screws 25, 26 and just before it is discharged from these screws, the moving body is engaged by a pair of spreader worms 45 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) to effect the initial opening of the body, as hereinbefore mentioned. There are two of these spreader worms and they are disposed adjacent to and just below the feeding screws 25, 26. There is one of these worms adjacent each end of the can bodies in the magazine 2|.

The spreader worms 45 are mounted on the lower ends of vertical shafts 46 which are journaled in bearings 41 formed in the magazine member 22. The shafts extend up through the magazine member and project above its top surface. The upper ends of the shafts carry sprockets 48 which engage and are driven by the endless chain 34. In this manner the spreader worms are rotated in unison and in time with the feeding screws 25, 26 so that transfer of the can bodies from the screws to the Worms is effected at the proper time.

Each spreader worm 45 is formed with a helical thread having a wide lead. For round cans of approximately three inches in diameter, as an example, a lead of about one and one half inches is used on the thread. For cans of other sizes the lead of the thread is increased or decreased in about the same proportion.

The outside diameter of the thread is constant throughout its length. The thread extends once around the worm and starts with a thin fin-like lobe 52 having a rounded or curved edge 53 (see Figs. 4, 7 and 8). From the lobe 52 and extending back along its length, the thread at its root progressively widens until the terminal end of the thread is slightly thicker than the distance the walls of the flattened can body A are to be spread apart. This progressing thickness of the worm thread is best shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The threads on the two worms extend in opposite directions and the worms are rotated in opposite directions (toward each other) as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4.

Hence as the feeding screws 25, 26 feed a can body A down into the region of the spreader worms 45, the lobes 52 of the two rotating worms enter into opposite ends of the can body close to the opposed eyes D along one side of the body, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 9. These points of entry of the spreader worms at the eyes of the body are closely adjacent the feeding screws 26. This provides positive opposed entry points for the bodies even though the bodies may be slightly warped or twisted. It will be seen that even though the walls of a can body are touching each other, the two eyes on the one side are substantially in the same positions they would occupy even though the body was opened more.

As the worms continue to rotate they retain the can body between them and against lateral or endwise displacement. The helical threads on the worms travel through and across the ends of the bodies. The rotation of the worms effects a wiping action of the threads relative to the can bodies and thus as the thicker portions of the threads wipe against the flattened walls of the bodies, these walls are gradually and progressively spread apart or separated to a predetermined amount beyond their elastic limit so they cannot return to their original flat condiion.

Upon one complete revolution of the spreader worms 45 the entire lengths of their threads 5! have passed through the ends of the body and the body is simultaneously advanced as shown in Fig. 10. Following this the body drops from the worms to a suitable place of deposit. The

5 resulting body is disclosed in Fig. 6-. Its side walls or partsare separated or opened sufii; oien'tly to permit of the :subseqn'e nt reforming of the body 'i nto any -cross-sectional"shape de= sired. This subsequent reforming of the body forms'nopart of the invention.

-It is thou'ght that the invention and :many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be mad'ein the form,tconstruction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit :andgscope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinb'efore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l. Ina spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively fiat side-parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination "of a magazine member for retaining -'a stack of *can bodies to be opened; a plurality *of feeding screws disposed adjacent said magazine member and engageable with the side edges of the can bodies'for feeding individual bodies from said member, and a pair of rotatable spreader wcrims aispcsea adjacent said feeding screws for receiving a can body therefrom, each of said spreaoer wo rms having a helical thread of variable thickness operable in an end of the can body between its flat side parts the two threads of said spreader worms separating said side parts 't'oobeii the body as an incident to refiir'ining the body.

In a spreader device for a maohin efor fre forming can bodies provided with relatively fiat side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of a magazine member for retaining a stack of can bodies to be opened, a plurality of feeding screws disposed adjacent said magazine member and engageable with the side edges of the can bodies for feeding individual bodies from said member, said feeding screws being rotatable in opposite directions for retaining the body being fed in a predetermined position, and a pair of spreader worms disposed adjacent said feeding screws for receiving a can body therefrom, each of said spreader worms having a helical thread of variable thickness operable in an end of the can body between its fiat side parts the two threads of said spreader worms cooperating to separate said side parts to open the body as an incident to reforming the body, said spreader worms being rotatable in opposite directions relative to each other and relative to said feeding screws for retaining the body being opened in a predetermined position.

3. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of a magazine member for retaining a stack of can bodies to be opened, a plurality of feeding screws disposed adjacent said magazine member and engageable with the side edges of the can bodies for feeding individual bodies from'said member, said feeding screws being spaced at different elevations for retaining the bodies in an inclined position and being rotatable in opposite directions for retaining the body being fed against endwise displacement, and a pair of spreader worms disposed adjacent said feeding screws for receiving a can body therefrom, said spreader worms each having a helical thread of variable thickness operable in the ends of the can body between its hot side part for separating said side parts to open the body as an :indicent to reforming the body, said spreader worms be ing rotatable in opposite directions relative to each other and relative to said feeding screws for retaining the body being opened in a predetermined position, and actuating means for rotating said 'f-ee'd screws and said worms in unison.

4-. In a spreader device :for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts join'ed by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination "of means for feeding said flattened bodies, a rotatable spreader worm 'adja'cent said feeding means for receiving each body from the feeding means, to open it partially and also to advance it in said machine, said worm having a helical thread formed at one end into a thin entering section merged into a thicker sec= tion operable in an end of the can bod-y between its flat 'Si'de parts for effecting said partial "o'pem ing by separating said side parts to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the latter, and means forholdirr'g said body against lateral displacement while said thread enters into engage'ment therewith.

5-. In a spreader device for a machin for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts joined by sharplyeiirve'd connecting parts, the *cbmbinatioh of means for feeding s'aid flattened bodies in timed progression, a pair of spaced rotatable spreader worms adjacent said fee-ding means for receiving each body from the feeding means, to one it partially and also to advance it in said ma ajme'ans f0 rotating saidworms in op osite directions; I wormhav ing a helical thread formedat one "end intta th in entering section merged into increasingly thicker sections, said threads being operable in opposite ends of the can body between its flat side parts for effecting said partial opening by separating said side parts to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the latter, said engagement of the oppositely disposed and oppositely rotating worms within a can body serving also to retain the body in operating relation with said worms.

6. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts join d by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of means for feeding said flattened bodies in timed progression, rotatable spreader Worms adjacent said feeding means for receiving each body from the feeding means, to open it partially and also to advance it in said machine, each of said worms having a helical thread formed at one end into a thin entering section merged into a thicker section, a said thread section being operable in an end of a can body between its fiat side parts for separating said side parts to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the body, means for rotating said spreader worms in opposite directions to facilitate entrance of the respective thread sections into the ends of the body and to retain the body in position while being opened by the worms.

7. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of means for feeding said flattened bodies in timed progression, a rotatable spreader worm adjacent said feeding means for receiving each body from the feeding means, to open it partially and also to advance it in said machine, said worm having a helical thread operable in an end of a can body between its flat side parts for separating said side part to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the body, said thread having a thin starting lobe insertabl into the end of the can body adjacent a curved connecting part to start the separation of said side parts of the body, said lobe being formed as an integral part of a thicker section of the thread subsequently inserted between the side parts of the body during the said rotation of said spreader worm, said thread in operation sweeping through an are within the body extending across a major portion of the length of the opening, and means for retaining said body in operative engagement with said worm.

8. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat ,side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of means for feeding said flattened bodies in timed progression, a rotatable spreader worm adjacent said feeding means for receiving each body from the feeding means, to open it partially and also to advance it in said machine, said worm having a helical thread of progressively increasing thickness, and means for holding a can body against lateral displacement while said thread enters into an end of said body between its fiat side parts for separating said side parts to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the body.

9. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively fiat side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of a magazine member for retaining a stack of can bodies to be opened, feeding elements adjacent said magazine member for feeding individual bodies from said member, a rotatable spreader worm disposed adjacent said feeding elements for receiving a can body there from and for advancing and partially reforming said body, said spreader worm having a, helical thread of progressively increasing thickness, and means for holding a can body against lateral displacement while said thread enters into an end of the can body between its flat side parts for separating said side parts to open the body as an incident to reforming the body.

10. In a spreader device for a machine for reforming can bodies provided with relatively flat side parts joined by sharply curved connecting parts, the combination of a rotatabl spreader worm having a helical thread of a thickness uniformly increasing from an initial entering section to a maximum thickness, and means for advancing a said body into engagement with said worm so that the entering section of said worm first enters between the walls adjacent th sharp ly curved connecting part of the body, said rotating thread advancing said body while separating the flat side parts of the body as the increasingly thicker sections of the thread pass therebetween to initially open the body as an incident to reforming the body.

HOWARD B. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,071,945 Moon Sept. 2, 1913 1,817,877 Cawley Aug. 4, 1931 

